An image grab taken from a video shows opposition fighter holding a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) as his fellow comrades take cover from an attack by regime forces on August 26, 2013 during clashes over the strategic area of Khanasser, situated on the only road linking Aleppo to central Syria. Rebels had in recent days captured several villages in Aleppo province, much of which is already in the hands of anti-regime fighters, before taking Khanasser, situated on the highway to Hama in central Syria, thus cutting the army's only supply route to the northern province.

A convoy of United Nations (UN) vehicles leave a hotel in Damascus on August 28, 2013 carrying UN inspectors travelling to a site in the Syrian capital of alleged chemical weapons attacks, a day after suspending their mission over safety concerns. The team of arms experts boarded a convoy of six vehicles, but it was unclear which site they were intending to visit after braving sniper fire two days ago when they began their mission by visiting two field hospitals in Moadamiyet al-Sham, southwest of Damascus, where they collected evidence of last week's suspected chemical attacks. less

A convoy of United Nations (UN) vehicles leave a hotel in Damascus on August 28, 2013 carrying UN inspectors travelling to a site in the Syrian capital of alleged chemical weapons attacks, a day after ... more

Photo: STR, AFP/Getty Images

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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, shown under a portrait of President Bashar Assad, said Tuesday in Damascus that the government has defenses that would “surprise” the world.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, shown under a portrait of President Bashar Assad, said Tuesday in Damascus that the government has defenses that would “surprise” the world.

A crowd waits for the arrival of the bodies of three Kurdish fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) for burial on August 27, 2013 in a cemetery in the Syrian-Kurdish town of Derik, following their killing in an attack on their checkpoint by militants from the radical Islamist group Jabhat Al-Nusra near the town, also known in Arabic as al-Malikiyah, in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh governorate, on the border with Turkey and Iraq. A new wave of Syrians began pouring into northern Iraq in mid-August, seeking refuge from fighting between Kurdish forces and Islamist rebels, as well as from an economy in tatters. Syria's Kurds, who number over two million and are concentrated in the north and northeast of the country. less

A crowd waits for the arrival of the bodies of three Kurdish fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) for burial on August 27, 2013 in a cemetery in the Syrian-Kurdish town of ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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Syrian Kurds mourn during the burial on August 27, 2013 of three Kurdish militia fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) who were reportedly killed in an attack on their checkpoint by militants from the radical Islamist group Jabhat Al-Nusra in the Kurdish town of Derik, known in Arabic as al-Malikiyah, in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh governorate, on the border with Turkey and Iraq. More than 200,000 Syrians, predominantly Kurds, have escaped to Iraqi Kurdistan during the 29-months-long conflict in their homeland. less

Syrian Kurds mourn during the burial on August 27, 2013 of three Kurdish militia fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) who were reportedly killed in an attack on their ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

Syrian Kurds mourn during the burial on August 27, 2013 of three... Photo-5108282.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Syrian Kurds carry the coffin of a relative into a cemetery in the Kurdish town of Derik before the burial on August 27, 2013 of three Kurdish militia fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) who were reportedly killed in an attack on their checkpoint by militants from the radical Islamist group Jabhat Al-Nusra south of the town, known in Arabic as al-Malikiyah, in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh governorate, on the border with Turkey and Iraq. A new wave of Syrians began pouring into northern Iraq in mid-August, seeking refuge from fighting between Kurdish forces and Islamist rebels, as well as from an economy in tatters. Syria's Kurds, who number over two million and are concentrated in the north and northeast of the country. less

Syrian Kurds carry the coffin of a relative into a cemetery in the Kurdish town of Derik before the burial on August 27, 2013 of three Kurdish militia fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

Syrian Kurds carry the coffin of a relative into a cemetery in the... Photo-5108283.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem speaks during a press conference in Damascus on August 27, 2013. Muallem said the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has been fighting an insurgency for the past 29 months, had defences that would "surprise" the world. less

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem speaks during a press conference in Damascus on August 27, 2013. Muallem said the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has been fighting an insurgency for ... more

A rebel fighter takes aim at regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on August 26, 2013. Syria's opposition accused pro-regime forces of opening fire at UN weapons inspectors on their way to a suspected chemical weapons site outside Damascus in a bid to hinder their investigation. less

A rebel fighter takes aim at regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on August 26, 2013. Syria's opposition accused pro-regime forces of opening fire at UN weapons inspectors on their way to a suspected ... more

Syrian men evacuate a victim following an air strike by regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on August 26, 2013. Syria's opposition accused pro-regime forces of opening fire at UN weapons inspectors on their way to a suspected chemical weapons site outside Damascus in a bid to hinder their investigation. less

Syrian men evacuate a victim following an air strike by regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo on August 26, 2013. Syria's opposition accused pro-regime forces of opening fire at UN weapons inspectors on ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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A member of the Islamist Syrian opposition group Ahrar al-Sham fires against a position of the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG), a militia set up to protect Kurdish areas in Syria from opposing forces, during clashes in the countryside of the northern Syrian Raqqa province on August 25, 2013. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on August 27 the UN mission investigating alleged chemical weapons attacks in Damascus has been delayed until the following after rebels failed to guarantee the experts' safety. less

A member of the Islamist Syrian opposition group Ahrar al-Sham fires against a position of the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG), a militia set up to protect Kurdish areas in Syria from ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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Syrian army soldiers are seen deployed in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus on August 24, 2013. The president of Syria's main opposition group called on Western nations to intervene after a suspected chemical attack that left up to 1,300 dead in the country ravaged by civil war. less

Syrian army soldiers are seen deployed in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus on August 24, 2013. The president of Syria's main opposition group called on Western nations to intervene after a suspected chemical ... more

Photo: STR, AFP/Getty Images

Syrian army soldiers are seen deployed in the Jobar neighborhood of... Photo-5108291.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Members of the Islamic Kurdish Front aim their weapons at a position of fellow Kurdish fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) during clashes with the militia, reportedly set up to protect the Kurdish areas in Syria from opposing forces, on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, on August 23, 2013. More than 100,000 people have died in Syria's war, the UN says. less

Members of the Islamic Kurdish Front aim their weapons at a position of fellow Kurdish fighters from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) during clashes with the militia, reportedly set ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Islamic Kurdish Front aim their weapons at a... Photo-5108293.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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A member of the Islamic Kurdish Front ducks to avoid sniper fire as he walks up stairs during clashes with fellow Kurdish fighters of from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG), a militia set up to protect the Kurdish areas in Syria from opposing forces, on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, on August 23, 2013. More than 100,000 people have died in Syria's war, the UN says. less

A member of the Islamic Kurdish Front ducks to avoid sniper fire as he walks up stairs during clashes with fellow Kurdish fighters of from the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG), a ... more

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Local Committee of Arbeen on August 21, 2013 allegedly shows Syrians covering a mass grave containing bodies of victims that Syrian rebels claim were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces in eastern Ghouta and Zamalka, on the outskirts of Damascus. The allegation of chemical weapons being used in the heavily-populated areas came on the second day of a mission to Syria by UN inspectors, but the claim, which could not be independently verified, was vehemently denied by the Syrian authorities, who said it was intended to hinder the mission of UN chemical weapons inspectors. less

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Local Committee of Arbeen on August 21, 2013 allegedly shows Syrians covering a mass grave containing bodies of victims that Syrian rebels claim were ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Local... Photo-5108296.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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People search through the rubble of a building which collapsed after it was allegedly bombed from the air during clashes between rebel fighter and pro-government troops on August 16, 2013, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Syria's government said it has nothing to hide from a UN team of chemical weapons inspectors that it expects to visit the war-ravaged country in the coming days. less

People search through the rubble of a building which collapsed after it was allegedly bombed from the air during clashes between rebel fighter and pro-government troops on August 16, 2013, in the northern ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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People search the rubble of a building which collapsed after it was allegedly bombed from the air during clashes between rebel fighter and pro-government troops on August 16, 2013, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Syria's government said it has nothing to hide from a UN team of chemical weapons inspectors that it expects to visit the war-ravaged country in the coming days. less

People search the rubble of a building which collapsed after it was allegedly bombed from the air during clashes between rebel fighter and pro-government troops on August 16, 2013, in the northern Syrian city ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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Smoke rises from buildings in Syria's eastern town of Deir Ezzor on August 13, 2013 following an airstrike by government forces. Syrian opposition activists, including National Coalition members, have drawn up a transitional roadmap including a call for national reconciliation and justice for "all of Syria's victims," a statement said. less

Smoke rises from buildings in Syria's eastern town of Deir Ezzor on August 13, 2013 following an airstrike by government forces. Syrian opposition activists, including National Coalition members, have drawn up ... more

This citizen journalism image provided by the Media Office Of Douma City which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian man mourning over a dead body after an alleged poisonous gas attack fired by regime forces, according to activists, in Douma town, Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013. Syrian regime forces fired intense artillery and rocket barrages Wednesday on the eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus, in what two pro-opposition groups claimed was a "poisonous gas" attack that killed dozens of people. less

This citizen journalism image provided by the Media Office Of Douma City which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian man mourning over a dead body after an alleged ... more

Bodies lie at a morgue following fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces on August 10, 2013 in the northern city of Raqqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands. Syrian regime air strikes killed more than 30 people Saturday in the Latakia province, bastion of the ruling Assad clan, and the northern city of Raqqa, a monitory group said. less

Bodies lie at a morgue following fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces on August 10, 2013 in the northern city of Raqqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands. Syrian regime air ... more

This image provided by Shaam News Network on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, purports to show dead bodies after an attack on Ghouta, Syria on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013. Syrian government forces pressed their offensive in eastern Damascus on Thursday, bombing rebel-held suburbs where the opposition said the regime had killed more than 100 people the day before in a chemical weapons attack. The government has denied allegations it used chemical weapons in artillery barrages on the area known as eastern Ghouta on Wednesday as "absolutely baseless." less

This image provided by Shaam News Network on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, purports to show dead bodies after an attack on Ghouta, Syria on ... more

A weapon lies on the ground as Syrian men pray on the street next to a truck carrying the bodies of six members of the same family killed in a bomb attack during fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces in the northern city of Raqqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands, on August 10, 2013. Syrian regime air strikes killed more than 30 people Saturday in the Latakia province, bastion of the ruling Assad clan, and the northern city of Raqqa, a monitory group said. less

A weapon lies on the ground as Syrian men pray on the street next to a truck carrying the bodies of six members of the same family killed in a bomb attack during fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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A Syrian man mourns the deaths of six of his siblings who were killed in a bomb attack during fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces in the northern city of Raqqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands, on August 10, 2013. Syrian regime air strikes killed more than 30 people Saturday in the Latakia province, bastion of the ruling Assad clan, and the northern city of Raqqa, a monitory group said. less

A Syrian man mourns the deaths of six of his siblings who were killed in a bomb attack during fighting between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces in the northern city of Raqqa, the only provincial ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

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A man carries two children away from the scene of an explosion in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, early on August 7, 2013. UN weapons inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria are "completing their preparations" in The Hague before heading to Damascus, the United Nations said. less

A man carries two children away from the scene of an explosion in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, early on August 7, 2013. UN weapons inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

A man carries two children away from the scene of an explosion in... Photo-5108313.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise

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People gather around a crater at the scene of an explosion in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, early on August 7, 2013. UN weapons inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria are "completing their preparations" in The Hague before heading to Damascus, the United Nations said. less

People gather around a crater at the scene of an explosion in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, early on August 7, 2013. UN weapons inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria ... more

Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

People gather around a crater at the scene of an explosion in the... Photo-5108314.69126 - Beaumont Enterprise